paradoxical

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Archived revision by Ungoliant MMDCCLXIV (talk | contribs) as of 16:25, 16 January 2015.
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

Pronunciation

Adjective

paradoxical (not comparable)

  1. Having self-contradictory properties.
    • 1776, Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, book II, ch 2
      It is the ambiguity of language only which can make this proposition appear either doubtful or paradoxical. When properly explained and understood, it is almost self-evident.
    • 1898, H. G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, Book 2, ch 4
      It sounds paradoxical, but I am inclined to think that the weakness and insanity of the curate warned me, braced me, and kept me a sane man.
    • Lua error in Module:quote at line 2972: Parameter 1 is required.
    • 1933, H. P. Lovecraft & Hazel Heald, Out of the Aeons
      It was tightly fitted with a cap of the same substance, and bore engraved figurings of an evidently decorative and possibly symbolic nature - conventional designs which seemed to follow a peculiarly alien, paradoxical, and doubtfully describable system of geometry.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translations